I have debated writing about my battle with my local school district publicly. What if someone reads this and all my hard work goes down the drain due to someone’s bruised ego. But then I remembered, I don’t shy away from anything on this site. And I have never once worried about what someone else might think. Plus, it’s possible my story and journey could help someone else. So.. here it goes: The School District vs. The Anti-Preemie. Sam has had an IEP (individual education plan) in place with The School District since he was 3. The original offer from the district was for Sam to receive OT ..read more

Repost: This was originally published in 2013 on shine.yaoo.com (a site which has since been shut down) Postpartum depression (PPD) has been great fodder for many a sitcom writer. Even in pregnancy and birth classes, time is dedicated to the perils of what could happen should you suffer from PPD after you give birth. In fact, all pregnant woman are warned about PPD. We are told what the warning signs are, and what to do if we feel that PPD is creeping into our lives. For the preemie mom, PPD is just one of the emotional perils we face. Giving birth to a preemie and the roller coaster of the N ..read more

Welcome to Prematurity Awareness Month… and my book publication month. In honor of these two big events, I have committed myself to writing a new post a week. Say that fast five times. Ok. Don’t. I got tongue tied after the first one. When you are in the NICU (ah yes – the first acronym) there are a lot of things you will need to learn quickly. Information comes at you a mile a minute, and understanding what you are being told – let alone processing it – is difficult. Understanding some of the terms before you walk in the door goes a long way to understanding what is going on with your preemie ..read more

Welcome to Prematurity Awareness Month… and my book publication month. In honor of these two big events, I have committed myself to writing a new post a week. So, you are going to be spending some time in the NICU. Your baby is fully taken care of. They have everything they could possibly need. You, on the other hand, are totally unprepared and have been thrown into the deep end. Even if you knew your baby was going to have to spend time in the NICU after being born, my bet is you are a bit out of your element. Here are the X things I suggest you have with you in order to survive the NICU ITEM ..read more

If I am posting, it can only mean one thing…. It’s Sam’s birthday. That’s right. This former One Pound Twelve Ouncer is now eleven. I am not sure who is more excited about this… Sam or me (because I get to use a Spinal Tap reference). This has been an interesting time to say the least. I have spent more time with Sam and Irene over the past 18 months than I ever thought I would. Like most people, we have been very COVID careful, staying in our house, getting vaccinated as soon as we could, wearing masks and generally being cautious. Through it all, we have had some really great times, and gell ..read more

Its hard to believe Sam is now 10, double digits, an entire decade old. For a kid that was given little odds of survival, Sam has done his best to LIVE. And not just live… but thrive. So, this year, to celebrate the big ten-o… I have compiled a list of the ten things about Sam that make me smile. 1. His Smile A Sam smile can light up any room. There is no half smile when it comes to Sam – he puts his whole face and body into it. You never have to wonder if his smile is real or forced. And when Sam smiles, you can’t help but smile just a little too. Sam’s serene smile 2. His Humor While I may n ..read more

Who knew when I brought Sam home from the NICU way back in 2010 that my 5 months of house arrest would end up being so useful ten years later. Now, of course, house arrest has a new name – sheltering in place. That is what Sam, Irene and I have been doing for the past 136 days. On March 16, Sam came home from the weekend at his dad’s house, and the three of us have been together ever since. After a two week isolation period, we added my dad to our extended family (lifesaver!). Yes, we have had conversations with neighbors over the fence. Yes, we have zoomed/FaceTimed with friends. Yes, we eve ..read more

Hear ye! Hear ye! PTSD season is upon us. I don’t mean to make light of a very serious condition – but making light of it is the only way I manage to get through what I have loving termed PTSD season. Since Sam was born, PTSD season runs from September 10 – September 16. In this time, I am plagued by flashbacks and emotional upheaval as I reflect back on the six days that really changed my life forever. This year, PTSD season has new trauma associated with it as I am doing it without my mom for the first time. It just makes it all that much crueler and rawer. My mom, my hero and my rock, stood ..read more

Then you were only 1 lbs 12 ozs. At 3, you were 31 lbs. Now, you are almost 50(?!) pounds     Then your heart had a leaky valve. At 3, a tiny clip has done its job and your heart is perfect – and you are learning the art of shaving. Now, you are doing martial arts.     Then you needed a machine to help you breathe. At 3, your lungs could carry you through a rousing rendition of “Mercedes Benz”. Now, you and your sister write our own songs to sing – all the time!     Then you needed an isolette to keep your body temp normal. At 3, you could burn a 104 feve ..read more

Since this blog launched, I have always referred to Sam as “Sam, the Anti-Preemie”. I am thinking of changing his name to “Sam, the Pre-Existing Condition”. When Sam decided to make his early entry into the world, my life was turned upside down. I don’t need to go back an chronicle that for you, as I have done that in detail on this site. The one aspect I never touched on was health care. Mostly because I didn’t have to. Even though I had moved from full time work (with benefits) to freelance work (with no benefits), I never had to worry about health care. First, we all moved to my husbands pl ..read more